


True Virtue

by mricj



Series: Banned Together Bingo 2020 [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Rise of Kyoshi
Genre: Between Seasons/Series, Canon Compliant, Canon Queer Relationship, Gen, Homophobia, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Period-Typical Homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:42:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24224521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mricj/pseuds/mricj
Summary: With time, Hei-Ran would learn.(Written for Banned Together Bingo 2020).
Relationships: Hei-Ran & Rangi (Avatar), Kyoshi/Rangi (Avatar)
Series: Banned Together Bingo 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1748488
Comments: 13
Kudos: 105
Collections: Banned Banned Together Bingo 2020, Banned Togethe Bingo Recovery, Banned Together Bingo 2020





	True Virtue

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Morally Corrupt.
> 
> Takes place after Hei-Ran and Rangi are dropped off in the North Pole.
> 
> CW: Typical Fire Nation's homophobia. Spoilers for The Rise of Kyoshi.

"You and Kyoshi seem…" Hei-Ran tried being careful about her choice of words, but then again, Hei-Ran had never been subtle, and in the end, none of it surprised Rangi. While on Pengpeng's saddle, as the North Pole got closer and the wind got colder, the care Kyoshi and Rangi felt for each other was palpable, even if neither of them had talked much. "… _Closer_."

With her being coherent for the past couple of hours, of course this was the thing Hei-Ran chose to talk about first.  _ Of course. _

"We  _ are _ friends," Rangi said. Shrugging, she finished heating up the jasmine tea before handing the teacup to her. Things in the North Pole got cold easily, she noticed. "We spent the past couple of months together."

"Rangi, please. I'm your mother and I know you," She said, and couldn't help scoff at all of it. "I've known you since before you knew yourself."

A beat later, Hei-Ran continued, "You might be able to hide things from people, but you can't hide them from me. Even if you try your hardest."

"I know."

"With you and Yun being so close, I thought… Well, it'd be a good match. You and the  _ Avatar _ ," Hei-Ran dragged out the word, before pressing the teacup to her lips. At the end of the day, the Avatar and Rangi  _ had  _ found each other, and she couldn't believe the irony of all of it.

Taking a sip of her tea, Hei-Ran asked. "But you and Kyoshi have always been fond of each other, haven't you?"

"It's more complicated than that," Placing her teacup against her lips, Rangi added carefully before taking a sip of the warm drink. The three of them had danced around each other for the longest time, and, once upon a time, she had loved him, too. Had loved him and Kyoshi both, had even entertained thoughts of it. Thoughts her mother would never understand or approve of.

She opened her mouth to continue speaking, but Hei-Ran raised one of her hands, stopping Rangi from doing so, and at that, she shut her mouth once again.

"-- Well, I knew. Deep down, I think I've always known," And for the first time in her life, Hei-Ran was ready to admit it. To herself and to her daughter, even if part of her couldn't help but wonder how much easier things could be. "But I'm not going to lie to you, either: I don't understand you or Kyoshi--"

"-- Mom," Cutting her mother off for the first time in her life wasn't easy, and being disrespectful or not, Rangi felt the need to defend herself, even if part of her felt as if she was dragging her father's name through the mud. Spending years in the Earth Kingdom and months on the road had spoiled her, and for a moment, it was easy to forget she was from the Fire Nation. Even easier to forget the sort of things people did to women like both of them. "Kyoshi and I are-- We aren't doing anything wrong--"

Rangi expected scolding and expected it to be harsh, but it didn't come.

"-- I'm not mad, Rangi," Hei-Ran didn't understand any of it, didn't understand them, but she wasn't mad, no. Shaking her head, she wrapped one of her hands around Rangi's before squeezing it and bringing it to her lips, and, at that, Rangi couldn't help but let out the breath she was holding. A long time ago, when Hei-Ran had been younger and Rangi much smaller, playing with her fingers was enough to throw her into giggling fits.

She didn't remember the last time she had been so tender and didn't remember the last time she and Rangi had been so close, either.

"I've already lost your father, and came  _ so  _ close to losing you," Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Hei-Ran continued. "We almost lost each other, and I'm not risking it.  _ Ever  _ again. All I ask is for you to be patient with your mother.  _ Please _ ."

And, with time, Hei-Ran would learn.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on [Tumblr](http://mricg.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/mricjwrites).
> 
> Comments and Kudos are loved and appreciated!


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